The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

For wicked men, the very notion they have of God, proves fatal to their souls; or is of a most destructive tendency, because they comprehend not together what God hath revealed of himself. Most usually, they confine those few thoughts of God they have only to his mercy, and that exclusively, as to his holiness, and justice; hence their vain and mad presumption. The notion of an unholy (or a not-holy, and not-just) God what wickedness would it not induce? Thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one as thy self: A God after their own hearts: then the reigns are let loose. More rarely, when the conscience of guilt hath arrested the self-condemned wretch; God is thought of under no other notion, than of an irreconcilable enemy, and avenger; as one thirsting after the blood of Souls, and that will admit of no atonement; so without all pretence, and so flatly contrary to all his discoveries of himself, do men dare to affix to him ⟨p. 101⟩black and horrid characters, forged only out, the radicated and inveterate hatred of their own hearts against him. (That never takes up good thoughts of any one) only because they have no mind to acquaint themselves with him; and that they may have some colour for their affected distance; and so, perhaps, never return, but perish under an horrid, wilful despair.

For wicked men, the very notion they have of God, proves fatal to their souls; or is of a most destructive tendency, because they comprehend not together what God hath revealed of himself. Most usually, they confine those few thoughts of God they have only to his mercy, and that exclusively, as to his holiness, and justice; hence their vain and mad presumption. The notion of an unholy (or a not-holy, and not-just) God what wickedness would it not induce? Thou thought'st I was altogether such a one as thy self: A God after their own hearts: then the reigns are let loose. More rarely, when the conscience of guilt hath arrested the self-condemned wretch; God is thought of under no other notion, than of an irreconcileable enemy, and avenger; as one thirsting after the blood of Souls, and that will admit of no atonement; so without all pretence, and so slatly contrary to all his discoveries of himself, do men dare to affix to him ⟨p. 101⟩black and horrid characters, forged only out, the radicated and inveterate hatred of their own hearts against him. (That never takes up good thoughts of any one) only because they have no mind to acquaint themselves with him; and that they may have some colour for their affected distance; and so, perhaps, never return, but perish under an horrid, wilful despair.